Apple cider vinegar (ACV) is a type of vinegar made from apples that have a characteristic sour taste and an amber color. It has long been a popular go-to kitchen ingredient widely used for making pickles, salad dressings, and more. It is also used for a number of other purposes, ranging from polishing armor and killing weeds to cleaning coffee makers. It is a rich source of calcium, phosphorus, minerals, copper, magnesium, potassium, pectin, bioflavonoid, and vitamins B6, A, B1, B2, C, and E.

If you are somehow unaware of the ACV benefits, here we are with a list of 10 health benefits you can reap by consuming apple cider vinegar appropriately.

Fights diabetes

Type 2 diabetes refers to either insulin resistance or inability to produce insulin, which leads to elevated blood sugar levels in the body. Drinking apple cider vinegar appropriately and regularly has been observed to help patients with type 2 diabetes, as it successfully lowers blood sugar levels in the body. However, an elevated blood sugar level is not something that only happens to those suffering from diabetes but it could happen to anybody. Therefore, everyone can count on ACV for keeping blood sugar levels stable.

Conditions hair

Apple cider vinegar solution (created by mixing ACV and water in equal proportions) helps nourish and condition hair, leaving it soft and shiny. This natural hair conditioner also serves as a super effective home remedy for dandruff, as it destroys dandruff causing fungus and restores the scalp’s pH balance. Simply apply water and the ACV mixture and leave it on the scalp for about 15 minutes to an hour twice a week for treating dandruff.

Makes skin healthy and glowing

Apple cider vinegar has plenty of skin benefits to offer, such as you can use it to reduce wrinkles, tone your skin, and for treating blemishes. Soak a cotton pad in diluted ACV and then dab it on your skin. Doing this regularly helps tighten skin and reduce wrinkles and fine lines. Mix half a cup of ACV in one cup of water and apply it all over your face as a toner. Similarly, you can dab diluted ACV on your skin every day for treating blemishes.

Helps in weight loss

If weight loss is something you are striving for, then you must start consuming apple cider vinegar regularly. It is a good source of acetic acid, which prevents the buildup of body fat and certain liver fats by suppressing appetite, increasing metabolism, and reducing water retention. Those who consume raw and unfiltered ACV on a regular basis experience a significant decrease in weight, abdominal fat, and waist circumference.

Boosts energy

The amino acids present in apple cider vinegar act as an antidote to lactic acid buildup in the body due to extreme stress or exercise causing fatigue. Additionally, potassium and enzymes in ACV serve as energy boosters that relieve tiredness.

Combats leg cramps

Those tired and frustrated of experiencing painful leg cramps should try out the apple cider vinegar remedy. Its mineral content reduces the intensity, frequency, and the pain of leg cramps. Simply sip ACV diluted in a glass of warm water whenever you experience a cramp.

Lowers cholesterol

High levels of bad cholesterol in the body increase the risk of heart disease, heart attack, and stroke. An apple cider vinegar diet lowers bad cholesterol level in the body, thus keeping the risk of heart ailments and a number of associated disorders at bay.

Fights infections

Having antiseptic properties, apple cider vinegar fights against fungal and bacterial infections effectively. You can use it for treating bladder infections, ear infections, and a number of other infections. For example, for ear infections, you can rinse your ear with diluted apple cider vinegar and for treating a bladder infection, you can drink a glass of warm water with two teaspoons of ACV every night.

Acts as a probiotic

Our gut is full of bacteria, some good and some bad. The good bacteria improve digestion by discouraging bad bacteria and produce certain vitamins. Therefore, there should be more of good and less of bad bacteria in our gut. Consuming apple cider vinegar is an effective way of increasing the number of good bacteria in the gut, as it helps maintain a healthy balance of bacteria.

Whitens teeth

A white and bright smile is certainly much more attractive than that yellowish unattractive smile. For achieving such an impressive smile, the easiest thing you can do is to gargle with apple cider vinegar every morning. It helps remove stains, kill bacteria in the mouth, and whitens teeth. After the ACV gargle, you can brush your teeth as you normally do.